When you begin your diet one of several things you will learn right away is that keeping a food journal is very helpful. Tracking all of the food you take in will help you figure out which foods you will be eating as well as which foods you are not eating enough of. For example, once you keep a food log for a few days you might notice that while you eat lots of fruit, you almost never eat any vegetables. Having it all written down may help you recognize the parts of your diet that need to change as well as how much exercise you need to get to make sure that you burn enough calories to keep your waistline in check.
But what happens if you've been writing every little thing down and still aren't slimming down? There is a right way and a wrong way to observe your food. A food journal isn't just a list of the items you've eaten during the day. You need to note down other important pieces of information as well. Here are a number of the points you need to do to be more effective at food tracking.
Be as specific as possible get whenever you record the things you eat. It is not enough to just jot down "salad" on a list. The right way to do it is always to write down all of the ingredients in the salad as well as the kind of dressing that is used. You also need to note down just how much of the foods you are eating. "Cereal" is just not beneficial, although "one cup Shredded Wheat" will be. Remember the more you consume of something the more calories you take in so it is very important that you list quantities so that you know exactly how much of everything you're eating and how many calories you need to burn.
Write down the time you're consuming items. This helps you see what times of day you feel the hungriest, when you're likely to reach for a snack and the right way to work around those times. After a day or two you may notice that, although you eat lunch at the same time every day, you still feel hungry an hour or so later. You may also be able to recognize when you are eating in order to have something to do. This is important because those are situations that you can pick out other things to fill your time with than food.
What kind of feelings are you in when you eat? Write it down! This really helps to explain to you whether or not you turn to food as a reaction to emotional issues. It will even identify the foods you select when you are in certain moods. There are many people who seek junk food when they feel angry or depressed and are equally likely to pick out healthy things when they feel happy and content. Not only will this enable you to notice when you reach for precise foods based on your mood, it will help you find ways to keep healthier (but similar) selections on hand for those same moods and help you figure out whether or not someone professional can help you deal with the issues that are sending you towards certain foods in the first place.
But what happens if you've been writing every little thing down and still aren't slimming down? There is a right way and a wrong way to observe your food. A food journal isn't just a list of the items you've eaten during the day. You need to note down other important pieces of information as well. Here are a number of the points you need to do to be more effective at food tracking.
Be as specific as possible get whenever you record the things you eat. It is not enough to just jot down "salad" on a list. The right way to do it is always to write down all of the ingredients in the salad as well as the kind of dressing that is used. You also need to note down just how much of the foods you are eating. "Cereal" is just not beneficial, although "one cup Shredded Wheat" will be. Remember the more you consume of something the more calories you take in so it is very important that you list quantities so that you know exactly how much of everything you're eating and how many calories you need to burn.
Write down the time you're consuming items. This helps you see what times of day you feel the hungriest, when you're likely to reach for a snack and the right way to work around those times. After a day or two you may notice that, although you eat lunch at the same time every day, you still feel hungry an hour or so later. You may also be able to recognize when you are eating in order to have something to do. This is important because those are situations that you can pick out other things to fill your time with than food.
What kind of feelings are you in when you eat? Write it down! This really helps to explain to you whether or not you turn to food as a reaction to emotional issues. It will even identify the foods you select when you are in certain moods. There are many people who seek junk food when they feel angry or depressed and are equally likely to pick out healthy things when they feel happy and content. Not only will this enable you to notice when you reach for precise foods based on your mood, it will help you find ways to keep healthier (but similar) selections on hand for those same moods and help you figure out whether or not someone professional can help you deal with the issues that are sending you towards certain foods in the first place.
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